Oftentimes as diverse as the autistic brain can be, it can be hard to remember that even though something may be acceptable to the individual themselves, there are at times rules, expectations, norms, and standards that need to be followed, and when those covenants are broken, therefore consequences must be handed down. Even though in the mind of the individual they may not see that what they are doing is wrong, indeed it could be consequential for them for several factors.

There are several societal norms in the world today and in times when the only thing  in the autistic mind is the need to find comfort, relief, pleasure or whatever it may be the only thing on their mind. However, they may not completely understand that whatever they are doing, while it makes sense to the individual themselves, may be consequential and even punishable by law in some cases.

While it can be hard to accept the fact that autistic individuals have interactions with law enforcement often when it comes to dealing with unacceptable behaviors that are not perceived as legal from a societal standpoint, it can be hard to prove the fact that indeed the brain was not thinking in the fullest and appropriate capacity.

Therefore, it should be taught from the earliest moment when things can be comprehended by the autistic individual themselves when behaviors can be seen as inappropriate and cause for law enforcement involvement. I have been lucky in many cases to not have been booked into the legal system and to do that I have some of the best parents to ensure that my situation was best explained. However, not everyone is as lucky and when consequences happen, it can be more consequential than what is desired and even as it may seem small in the eyes of the autistic individual, the punishment that is handed down can be difficult for the induvial that could take them away from the things that they enjoy or make their routine fulfilling.

As it may be initially seen as some small behavior, if the behavior is acted upon in the wrong environment, where one bystander can make it out to be more than  what it is, it can trigger law enforcement and become bigger than what it is. This can have an unexpected consequence on the individual themselves and those involved around them. Therefore, work should be done in earnest to work at addressing problems as early as possible so they do not snowball to bigger situations that can be out of the individual’s support system’s hands.

While it may not be totally up to the individual themselves to work on the behavior themselves, they must understand that there are consequences to actions that they perform and that there may not always be an opportunity to bounce back from situations that can result in law enforcement or other entities getting involved.